Overview of Smart Materials

Bishakh Bhattacharya & Nachiketa Tiwari

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
Topics Covered in the Last two Lectures

• Wh
Whatt iis Magnetostriction?
M t t i ti ?
• What are the different effects of
Magnetostriction?
• The Constitutive Relationship
• Actuators Developed
p using g
Terfenol-D
• Sensors Developed using Terfenol-
Terfenol
D
• Magnetostrictive Composites
LECTURE 5:
5

Active Smart Polymers

(Part 1)
 Organization
• What is Active Smart Polymer?
• Classifications of Electro
Electro-active
active
Polymers
• The
Th CConstitutive
tit ti Relationship
R l ti hi
• Actuators
ctuato s Developed
e e oped us
usingg EAP
• Sensors Developed using EAP
• Future of IPMC
 What is Active Smart Polymer?
• Polymers that respond to external stimuli
y changing
by g g shapep or size are known as
active smart polymer. These are of two
categories:
• Active Polymers that respond to input
stimuli such as pH, magnetic field
f and light
• Electro
Electro-active
active Polymers that respond to
the change of electrical input. Also known
as EAP
 Active Smart Polymer
Response to light due
to Azobenzene groups
contain N=N double
bonds.

Under visible light

N Nb
N=N bonds
d hhave a cis
i
conformation - the
polymer is bent.
bent

Under UV light source

the bonds
become trans and the
http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemScienc polymer
l fl tt
flattens.
e/Volume/2009/01/Polymers_strut_stuff_sp
otlight.asp
Classifications of Electro-active
Polymer (EAP)
EAPS are broadly classified into two groups
– Electronic EAP and Ionic EAP

Electronic EAP (EEAP) Ionic EAP (IEAP)

Dielectric EAP y
Ionic Polymer Gels ((IPG))

Electrostrictive Paper Ionic Polymer Metal

Composite (IPMC)

Ferroelectric Polymers Conducting Polymers

q
Liquid Crystal
y Elastomer Carbon Nanotubes ((CNT))
Comparisons between EEAPS and IEAP

• Electronic EAPs need high activation

g ((> 150 V/μm).
voltage μ )
• Materials have high energy density and
rapid response time in milliseconds
milliseconds.
• IEAPs require small driving voltage (1-5V).
• However, IEAP has slow response time
and performs better under wet condition
condition.
 Timeline of Development
• 1978 - Toyoichi Tanaka – Smart Hydrogel
– Gels swelling
g 1000 times of its volume
• 1993 – Oguro – Electroactive Nafion
• 2000 – Schreyer
S h – Electroactive
El t ti PAN
Fibre
• 2002 – Shahinpoor – Ionic Polymer Metal
Composite
Electro Active Polymer
 How does an IPMC work?
• IPMC consists of a Polymer matrix
y
sandwiched between two metallic layers
• The polymer consists of a fixed network
with negative charges balanced by mobile
positive ions.
• When subjected to DC voltage – there will
be accumulation of cations near cathode –
water molecules will move towards this
side causing hydrophilic expansion
expansion.
 How does an IPMC work - ..?
?
• The polymer matrix will bend towards the
anode side.
• With time, there will be a back diffusion of
water molecules causing a slow relaxation
towards cathode.
• Extent of Actuation depends on type of
polymer, type of counter ion, presence of
moisture, quality of metallization.
Comparison of Properties with other smart
materials

Sahinpoor and Bar-Cohen 1998

 References
• Electroactive Polymers for Robotics
Applications
pp – Kim and Tadokoro
• Smart Structures – Paolo Gaudenzi
END OF LECTURE 5